Automaton merchandising device



Nov. 21, 1939. F. 1.. DALE AUTOMATON MERCHANDISING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Illlllllllll,

INVENTOR FRANK L. DALE BY gmwe/ a 'Rae/ ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1939. F. L. DALE 3 AUTOMATON MERCHAND ISING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK 1.. DALE 6m aRcc/ ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1939. F. L. DALE AUTOMATON MERCHANDISING- DEVICE Filed Dec. 1'7. 195s 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A a! T 2 INVENTOR FRANK DALE BY Sic-n 9 \fiae/ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 21, 1939 AUTOMATON MERCHANDISING DEVICE Frank L. Dale,

New York, N. Y., assignor to Mechanical Man,Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 17, 1938, Serial No. 246,322

8 Claims.

My invention has to do with an automaton merchandising device, similar, in a generic sense, to the invention set forth in the patent granted to me, No.

2,105,904, January 18, 1938. In said patent the set-up includes a body, an oscillatable head, and

mechanized in moved to a an arm, the head and arm being such fashion that as the head is profile posture, the arm concurrently is raised to salute while additional elements function to simulate the act of smoking.

With the present invention, I have enhanced the merchandising appeal of the robot by incorporating means for bow, conjunctively with and to actuate one arm article on display as the causing the figure to the act of Salutation, thereof to point to the head is turned in profile in the direction of the merchandise. I have also worked out certain refinements in the me- Fig. 1 is figure, the

a front elevation of the body of the major portion thereof being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a partial transverse section taken along lines Fig. 3 is 2-2 of Fig. 1. a side view corresponding to Fig. 1,

showing the body in bowed position.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the air-pump.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the disc which cooperates with the upper extremity of the pump.

Fig. 6 is a front ure with the left Fig. 7 is elevation of the complete figarm in pointing position, and

a side elevation of the figure illustrating the body bowed and the right hand at salute.

Generally, the figure comprises a body Ill, head ll, arms I2 and I3, and legs M and IS.

A pertinent fact with regard tothe arms is that the forearms are disposed at an angle to the upper armsthis feature importance with regard to being of especial pointing, as will be subsequently explained.

The body is shown as cylindrical, with a top l6 and. bottom ll, although it may be of any desired configuration suitable for enclosing the operating mechanism. Disposed within the body towards the base thereof, and with its axis arranged vertically, is a motor l8. A strut I9 extending transversely between the uprights 20 and 2|,

serves as a bed for the motor, and

the worm shaft 22 of the motor meshes with the worm-gear 23, carried by shaft 24 mounted in bearings 25 of uprights 20 and 2!. Companion shaft 26 is; disposed above shaft 24 in bearings 2?. Suitable reduction small pinion 28 on shaft 2 5 and a larger pinion 29 on shaft 26 is devised to rotate shaft 26 at a speed appropriate to the diverse mechanical movements now to be described.

Concerning firstly the bow, base 51 of the body It is connected by a hinge, as 30, to the top section of each leg I l and I5. Engaging the respective hinges at 3! are the lower terminals of vertical rods or pitmans 32, 32, the opposite terminal, of rod 32 being connected to the lower 15 end 33 of link 33 carried by shaft 35, while the opposite terminal of rod 32 is attached to the lower end 33 of crank arm 34', which latter is also mounted on shaft 35-. The other end 36 of the crank-arm 34 has pivoted theretoa com- 20 paratively short rod 36 which parallels rod 32 and is similarly connected at the opposite terminal to a crank 37 fixedly carried by the adjacent end of shaft 26. When motor is is energized, the body will be constrained forwardly on 25 hinges 30 through the medium of the connections 'just described. In other words, the body will be tiltedwith respect to legs l4 and 15, in simulation of a bow, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings.

Next in order are the arm movements. Although their gesticulations are diiferent, both arms l2 and I3 are actuated by shaft 26. Right arm I2 is connected to the shaft by an angular extension 38 and is adapted to be moved from a 35 position of reposesee Fig. 6-to one of salute -see Fig. 7. Left arm it, upon the other hand, is designed to oscillate laterally to simulate the act of pointing-and this is accomplished by pivoting the lower terminal of rod 39 to the 40 crank-arm 40 of shaft 26', then connecting the opposite terminal of the rod to one arm ii of a bell-crank 42, interposing another link 43 between arm M of the bell-crank and crank-arm 45, and still another link 46 between crank-arm 45 and stub shaft 87, which latter is positioned in housing 48 and carries the upper part of the arm l3'note particularly Figs. 1 and 2. Also in this connection, it will be observed that crank- 50 arm 45 is rigidly mounted on a relatively short vertically extending shaft 49, the base of which and shaft 35, are freely movable in the T coupling 50. A collar 5| encircling shaft 35 at each end of coupling 50 and held by a set-screw gearing comprising a 5 5|", serves to preclude lateral movement of the coupling.

The smoking apparatus, as exhibited in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, comprises in part a cylinder 5|, a piston 52 and a piston-rod 53 connected to crankarm 40. At the upper extremity of the cylinder is a right-angular extension 54 having an elongated aperture 55 and pivoted to upright 2| at 56. Upright 2! is provided with two openings 51 and 58, conveniently connected to the mouth and nose of head II by means of flexible tubings 59 and 60. As the piston is reciprocated, the cylinder 5| swings to and fro on its pivot 56, alternately causing openings 51 and 58 to register and unregister with respect to aperture 55, and working in synchronism with the movement of the piston, produces a draft on the cigaratte El and an exhalation of smoke through the nostrils 6|. This construction and arrangement of parts embodies a capital advantage over the ball valve contraption described in my patent because it is devoid of any elements which will become clogged with tobacco tar.

Depending from head H is a neck portion 62 with a flanged base 63, rotatably mounted beneath an annular collar 64. To complete the as: sembly, the outer end of shaft 69 is equipped with a spider 66 permanently fastened to the inner wall of the neck. Oscillation of the head unit is effected through crank-arm 40 and links 39 and 43.

Normally the robot assumes a position similar to that illustrated in Fig. 6, the body Ill erect, the head ll facing left, the right arm I2 at rest and the left arm 13 pointing or at least being removed outwardly from the body. Upon starting motor l8, the body begins to tilt forwardly, the right arm commences to raise and the left arm oscillates towards the body-these motions being continued until the respective elements reach the limit of their travel and the gestures are completewith the body bowed, the right arm at .salute or adjacent the head, and the left arm disposed towards the front of the body, as shown by dotted lines. Then the body, head and arms return to normal postures, and the cycle begins overagain.

The smoking mechanism may be timed to operate during the oscillation of the head, at the limits of its oscillation, or only when the head is facing front.

If desired, a loud speaker may be installed within the body of the figure and operated from a remote point. And other features may be incorporated which will lend additional animation to the invention.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described, but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the scope of the following claims. For example, the principles involves in the raising of the right hand to the head and the swinging of the left arm from the body while simulating the gestures of saluting and pointing, may be employed in connection with other mechanical movements not herein specifically described.

I claim:

1. A figure including a body, a head, a pair of arms pivoted to the shoulders of the body and normally depending therefrom, and motoractuated means for elevating one arm and then moving the same so that the lower portion thereof is proximate the head and for turning the other arm away from the body.

2. A figure including a body, a head, an arm pivoted to one shoulder and oscillatable on a vertical axis, and motor-actuated means for operating said arm.

3. A figure including a body, an oscillatable head normally disposed at profile, an arm pivoted to one shoulder and oscillatable on a vertical axis to normally occupy a position removed from the body, and motor actuated means for turning the head to front dress and moving said arm towards the body.

4. A figure including a body, a head oscillatable in a horizontal plane, an arm pivoted to one shoulder of the body and oscillatable in a plane parallel with said head, and motor-actuated means designed to turn the head and the arm.

5. A figure including a body, a head oscillatable in a horizontal plane, an arm pivoted to one shoulder of the body and oscillatable on a vertical axis, and motor-actuated means designed to turn the head from front dress to profile and the arm from a position in front of the body to a pointing position removed from the body, and vice versa.

6. A figure including in combination, a body, a head, an oscillatable arm, and a pair of legs, the body being hingedly connected to the legs, and motor-actuated means for causing said body to bow and said arm to be raised proximate the head.

'7. A figure including in combination, a body, an oscillatable head, an arm pivoted to one shoulder and oscillatable on a vertical pivot, and motoractuated means for causing the head to move towards said shoulder as the arm is swung from a position forwardly of the body to a position outwardly with respect to the body.

8. A figure including a body and an oscillatable head, the mouth of the head having an opening for a lighted cigarette or the like, an upright provided with an opening, a pump having a piston rod and being oscillatable about a fixed axis with respect to said upright and further having a pair of ports for alternate communication with said opening, tubes connecting the opening of the mouth and the nostrils with said ports, whereby upon oscillation of the pump in one direction smoke is drawn into the pump and upon oscillation in the other direction smoke is expelled through the nostrils, a motor, a shaft in geared relation to said motor, a crank-arm carried by said shaft, a pair of pitmans interposed between the crankarm and the head, and said piston-rod being also connected to the crank-arm.

FRANK L. DALE. 

